Speakers

Norm Mineta is Vice Chairman of Hill & Knowlton, providing counsel and strategic advice to Hill & Knowlton clients on a wide range of business and political issues.

For almost thirty years, Mineta represented San Jose, California- first on the City Council, then as Mayor, and then from 1975 to 1995 as a member of Congress.

Mineta served as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Public Works Committee from 1992 to 1994, after having chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation. He was the primary author of the groundbreaking ISTEA legislation – the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.

In 2000, Mineta was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Secretary of Commerce.

Mineta was appointed Secretary of Transportation by President George W. Bush in 2001, where he served until he joined Hill & Knowlton in July 2006. Following the horrific terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, Mineta guided the creation of the Transportation Security Administration – an agency with more than 65,000 employees – the largest mobilization of a new federal agency since World War II.

Mineta was also a Vice President of Lockheed Martin where he oversaw the first successful implementation of the EZ-Pass system in New York State.

Terri Angier is Chief of the Public Affairs Division of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Her responsibilities include all aspects of public affairs administration and information management, including media relations, external and internal relations, publications and advertising.

Prior to her appointment at ODOT, she worked as a free lance writer and served a stint in television promotions. She is the former editor of ODOT’s Oklahoma Transportation News and oversaw its conversion to the current magazine-style, Access, in 1992.

Angier is also an adjunct professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, teaching Journalism and Public Relations courses.

Currently, Angier is vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Public Affairs for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. She is also on the board of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, a statewide nonprofit organization that promotes beautification, enhancement and preservation of Oklahoma's natural environments.

Born in Tehran, Iran, Angier received her secondary education in India and England. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism, both from the University of Oklahoma.

Barbara Babic, Idaho Transportation Department

Barbara Babic is a graduate of Loyola-Marymount University, Los Angeles. She moved to Idaho in 1977, to become News Director for KGEM radio in Boise. In 1985, she was hired as the Public Relations Manager for the Idaho AFL-CIO during the state’s Right to Work campaign. She has also worked in the Idaho Legislature as an attache and lobbyist. Barbara came to work for the Department in 1988 as the Public Information Supervisor at Headquarters. She moved to District 1 in 1995 as the District’s Public Involvement Coordinator, overseeing all public involvement activities in the five northern counties.

District One has a strong commitment to engaging the public in meaningful involvement in the project development process. The District has the first, and only, information office devoted to public involvement for a specific project. The Sand Creek Byway office has become an integral part of ITD’s commitment to the Sandpoint community.

Barbara enjoys white water rafting (if the rapids are no more than Class 3!), antiquing, and photography.

Dana Howard Botka is the Plain Talk Coordinator for the Washington Office of the Governor and Manager of Customer Communications for the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, where she started the “Plain Talk” initiative in 2001.

Currently, Dana works with teams throughout her agency to redesign and “translate” confusing documents and web pages so they can be quickly and easily understood by the citizens who use them. In addition, she coordinates the efforts of some 35 Washington state agencies charged with complying with Governor Gregoire’s 2005 Plain Talk Executive Order.

Dana often trains and mentors small groups in plain language techniques. She also conducts studies on the readability and usability of documents.

Before working in the plain language field, Dana worked as a journalist, a state government public information specialist, and freelance writer for 25 years. Former employers include The Associated Press, the Washington State Legislature and four state agencies in Washington and Idaho.

She is a board member of the Washington D.C.-based Center for Plain Language and holds a B.A. in English from Whitman College, Washington.

As a creative director and brand strategist, Clancy Boyer brings to his clients a rare balance of design experience and strategic thinking to clients in a variety of industries, including real estate, sporting goods and equipment, and consumer products. Boyer integrates design planning, market trends, user needs, brand strategy and design development to create innovative solutions.

Boyer has directed teams in global design and brand management with Nike, Inc. His work there resulted in recognition for creating one of the most iconic product lines in the history of Nike and led to four design and utility patents. Prior to this, Boyer worked with numerous global advertising and marketing firms, including Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB Worldwide and Wieden + Kennedy. This broad experience working with both the client and the agency has given him a unique perspective and understanding of global markets and how clients can better position themselves to compete.

Jeffrey Caldwell was named chief of communications at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in June 2007. Caldwell began his state government career in 2000, serving as public affairs manager in VDOT’s Richmond and Hampton Roads districts. He left VDOT in 2005 to become the director of public relations for the Virginia Department of Health. He rejoined VDOT as assistant director of public affairs in early 2006.

Caldwell was previously a reporter and worked in corporate communications at Circuit City’s headquarters in Richmond. While in college, he spent summers on road construction and maintenance crews in upstate New York. Caldwell has earned several professional accolades, including two Virginia Press Association awards for journalism and three VDOT Commissioner's Awards of Excellence. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Richmond.

Brian Calvert joined KOMO 1000 News in September 2002. Calvert covers breaking news as well as stories that warrant a personal touch.

His writing and storytelling abilities have won a handful of honors, including a National Edward R. Murrow award in 2003.

Calvert's interest in radio began in high school in southern Oregon when local broadcast legend Jim Wilson taught him the ropes in Brian's hometown of Grants Pass. He spent eight years there, working first as a station copywriter, to eventually hosting the morning program.

From there, Calvert was recruited to KXL in Portland to host an evening talk show, and then to anchor the station's morning news for nearly four years. In 2001, he migrated farther north to Seattle, where he spent some time at KIRO before moving to KOMO 1000 News.

Today, he's the News Director and telling his stories on both radio and television. Calvert can be seen on a regular basis on KOMO 4 News.

In addition to news, Calvert covers the Seattle Mariners’ games. He also enjoys spending time in local classrooms, talking to students of all ages about news reporting and storytelling.

Danielle Cogan is the communications manager for the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project. Before CRC, she served as a staff assistant to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In that capacity, Cogan represented the Congresswoman on issues ranging from social security to veterans affairs and started the first summer internship program for low-income high school students in the Office of the Democratic Leader. In 2005, Cogan was recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for her work on behalf of veterans and their families. She is also a Coro Community Fellows alumna and graduate of the Emerge women leaders program.

O. Casey Corr is a writer and communications consultant, author of two books on business leadership, and former communications director for the Seattle mayor.
 
As a journalist, he reported from the Middle East, Europe and Asia on technology, aerospace, education and other issues. His writings have appeared in the Seattle Times, Context, Governing, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Washington Post.  His books, “Money From Thin Air” and “King,” were favorably reviewed in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and elsewhere. He has appeared on NPR, CNBC, CBC and other national outlets. He has lectured on politics, the media and communications at the Seattle University, the University of Washington and the City of Seattle’s Leadership Institute.
 
As a communications strategist, he has advised government, business, community political leaders, non profits and government agencies. He has organized press and community events; managed crisis communications; written major speeches; directed internal communications, designed public outreach campaigns; and directed content for print, radio, television and the web.
 
Casey earned a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a master of public administration degree from Harvard University.  He was a Knight Fellow at the University of Maryland.
 
He writes the Mudville column for Crosscut.com and contributes to MSNBC.com, Washington CEO, and other publications.

Nile Easton is currently the Senior Public Information Officer for the Utah Department of Transportation and has been working with UDOT for more than six years. He handles day-to-day communications efforts for the Department, and manages a variety of public relations campaigns and project-related communications efforts for the Department.

Easton worked as a journalist at the Ogden Standard-Examiner for just eight months before moving on to public relations for the Utah Farm Bureau. As Vice President of Communications, Easton oversaw the outreach efforts of advocating for Utah’s 22,000 farmers.

Easton graduated with a degree in journalism from Utah State University where he worked in sports information for three years. Originally from California with split time in Kentucky, Easton, his wife and their four children now live on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley.

Arlene Fairfield, DDB Brand Integrity Group Arlene Fairfield is the fearless leader of DDB BIG, the corporate responsibility arm of DDB Worldwide.  DDB BIG focuses on enhancing brand valuation by creating experiences that trigger enlightenment, commitment, and ROI. Whether it’s health care, energy conservation, or human rights, Fairfield works with both for and non-profit clients to develop effective and memorable communications strategies targeting the conscientious consumer.  Her passion and creativity foster an environment in which great ideas can flourish, resulting in more award-winning programs than her mother can chronicle in the annual holiday letter. Specializing in strategic direction and campaign design, from online advocacy to television advertising, she melds the marketing skill of Madison Avenue with the political savvy of a D.C. advocacy practice.

Fairfield has worked on programs for Alaska Airlines, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chicken Soup Brigade/Northwest AIDS Foundation, National Recycling Coalition, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation, Save the Children, Women’s Capital Corporation, and Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), to name a few.

Her passion for fighting the good fight doesn’t stop when she clocks out; her community involvement includes her position as board president of the Women’s Funding Alliance. Fairfield has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in business administration and Certificate in Environmental Management from the University of Washington.

Linda Farmer, APR, joined the Puget Sound Action Team in 2005. The Puget Sound Action Team Partnership defines, coordinates and implements Washington State's environmental agenda for Puget Sound. As Director of Communications Farmer oversees a team of three charged with public relations, media relations, marketing and education.

Before coming to the Action Team, Farmer headed the environmental communications and education team for the City of Tacoma. She also worked in communications at Pacific Lutheran University and was a newspaper reporter and section editor at The Federal Way News.

Farmer is on the board of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and is also on the board at Citizens for a Healthy Bay in Tacoma.

Farmer holds a Master of Science degree in communications management from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in both communications and political science from the University of Washington.

Jennifer Gavin joined AASHTO as Deputy Director of Communications in August, 2000.  Earlier in her career she reported and edited for the Denver Post and the Associated Press, and was press secretary to former Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm. Gavin holds bachelors’ degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a master’s degree in International Relations from The American University. and a bachelor’s degree in both communications and political science from the University of Washington.

Since May 2003, Luanne Grandinetti has served as Manager of Communications for the Tennessee Department of Transportation and played a role in developing the TDOT Community Relations Division formed in early 2003 by Commissioner Gerald Nicely. Part of her responsibilities as manager of communications is to enhance and improve communications and outreach to the public. She oversees the agencies’ communications efforts both internally to employees and externally to the public through publication, the website and information programs.

For 16 years, Grandinetti served as public information officer, directing public affairs activities for two state departments, Transportation and Commerce and Insurance.

Grandinetti does free-lance media work for the Government Access Channel in Nashville anchoring the live broadcast of local council meetings. A Tennessee native, Grandinetti is a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a B.S. degree in Communications and has an MS Degree (as of 8-11-07) from Middle Tennessee State University in Mass Communications.

Grandinetti has served in several capacities on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, sub-committee on Public Affairs. She is currently serving as Vice-President Elect of the sub-committee. For four years she served on the National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop site selection committee with two years as chairman. She served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the sub-committee for two years.

Eric is the creative force behind many of DDB BIG’s most noted campaigns, including work for the Human Rights Campaign, TurnOut, Energy Star, and DDB’s award-winning multi-year project for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. He also led the development of the first-ever HIV/AIDS awareness spot to appear in the Super Bowl, a campaign that has driven more than 37 million unique visitors to Viacom and the Kaiser Family Foundation’s campaign Web site to learn more about the global crisis.  In addition, Eric serves as Creative Director on DDB Seattle’s Amtrak Cascades, McDonald’s, Chateau Ste. Michelle & Columbia Crest Wines, and Swedish Hospital work.

Eric’s work is internationally recognized and awarded by Cannes Lions, One Show, Clios, Adweek’s Best Spots, Effies, and a 2001 Best of Show Addy. His spot for the Alliance to Save Energy about a family doing research on the first static electricity–powered house was honored on ABC’s World’s Funniest Commercials. Most recently, he accepted a 2006 Emmy for best national community service campaign for The AIDS Knowledge Project, and a national McDonald’s “Best Bet” award for the Spicy Chicken Sandwich launch campaign, which achieved the highest sales results in the country.

Paula Hammond is a graduate of Oregon State University, with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. A professional engineer, Hammond serves as the Chief of Staff for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). In her 28 years with WSDOT, she has worked in all areas of the Department’s highway and policy programs.

In her current position as Chief of Staff, Hammond serves as adjunct to the Secretary; providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the agency’s administration and communications, with major responsibilities in external agency relations and strategies for modal divisions within the Department. Hammond oversees the agency’s communications efforts with tribes, state and local agencies, the Transportation Commission, Governor’s Office, legislative leadership, congressional members and transportation interest groups. Within WSDOT, she assures that modal divisions have the capacity and strategies for advocacy of their modes, delivery of their programs, and close integration throughout the department. Modal divisions include Aviation, Highways & Local Programs, Public Transportation, Freight Systems and Rail.

Hammond is involved with several boards and associations including: Transportation Improvement Board, American Public Works Association, National Research Council, Transportation Research Board's Committee on Citizen Involvement in Transportation, Women’s Transportation Seminar and Soroptimist International of Olympia.

Robert Harper has served as lead public information officer for the Washington Emergency Management Division since 1996. He has the program lead for the incorporation of Emergency Support Function 15 into the state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

Harper conducts training for public information officers and emergency managers in the operation of joint information centers under the National Incident Management System. He also serves as the state’s lead public information officer for joint information centers during multi-agency exercises and activations.

He was the state's lead state public information for the Nisqually Earthquake of 2001, the TOPOFF 2 Exercise in 2003, the Mount St. Helens eruption activity of 2004, and the federal winter storms disaster in 2006.

Lieutenant Gregg Hastings joined the Oregon State Police (OSP) in 1978 following graduation from Southern Oregon University where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology. During his 28-year Department career, he has worked in the Patrol Services Division at OSP offices in The Dalles, Portland and Government Camp as a patrol trooper and patrol supervisor.

Lieutenant Hastings has been assigned as the Public Information Officer for seven of the last 10 years, serving as the Department’s statewide media contact person. In addition to PIO duties, Lieutenant Hastings has instructed numerous classes on media relations to public safety agencies in the northwest, and is a member of the Amber Alert Newsplex training working group.

In November 2006, Lieutenant Hastings became the lead spokesperson for the Kim Family Search when news first came out that the missing family was last seen in Portland. At the beginning of the eight day search, Hastings was asked to travel to Grants Pass to help with some of the media that had gathered near the Search & Rescue headquarters in Merlin.

Five minutes after arriving, the mother and children were spotted. Hastings was thrust into the role of lead PIO that he maintained around-the-clock for the next five days through the final area news conference. Hastings handled nearly every on-camera and phone interview with media around the world. This included morning and evening on-camera interviews with major news organizations and cable news programs.

Sally Hull specializes in leadership development, organization effectiveness and strategic change. A skilled organization development consultant, she designs and facilitates highly interactive leadership development and action learning projects. Hull works with leaders and their teams to clarify direction, improve communication, and manage transitions.

Hull's leadership development engagements have resulted in measurable, sustainable change. Hull also works with organizations to identify and develop their high-potential managers.

Hull has served as a member of the Seattle University graduate leadership development faculty. She has also served on the coaching faculty for the University of Washington Executive Programs and the Linkage Global Institute for Leadership Development. Hull received her Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and is certified by the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches.

Stacey Hust is Assistant Professor of communication at Washington State University. She teaches undergraduate students how to collect data to strategically design public relations campaigns in both Public Relations Management and Entertainment-Education courses. In the past two years, she has overseen more than 25 student-led research projects that have produced viable public relations campaign plans.

Prior to joining WSU, Hust worked professionally in both public relations and journalism for non-profit organizations and academic institutions. She has also managed and evaluated health communication campaigns.

As a health communication scholar, Hust explores whether the mass media can be used for health promotion through strategies such as entertainment education and media advocacy. Her research examines the media’s effects on sexual and reproductive health, and she has studied media’s effects on the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs for the past eight years.

Hust has earned awards for her research, and her work has been published in Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, Journal of International Advertising, Women & Health Journal, Mass Communication & Society and Public Relations Review.

Hust earned her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Colleen Jollie is a descendent of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa of North Dakota although she has lived in Washington State most of her life. Jollie is the Director of the Tribal Liaison Office for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Her primary interest is the implementation of the Centennial Accord, an agreement that was entered into by the 26 tribes and the Governor of the State in their 1989 State Centennial. The Accord defines how the Agency and the tribes work together in a government-to-government relationship. Jollie has a master’s degree in public administration from the Evergreen State College.

Before working at WSDOT, Jollie was Deputy Director for the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA) where she worked with all the tribes regarding the Centennial Accord. GOIA serves in a liaison capacity between the state agencies and the tribes to facilitate the implementation of the Accord. Her focus there was primarily in the area of economic development. She also worked in a shared position between GOIA and the Department of Trade and Economic Development as a circuit rider to assist the tribes in project development.

Jollie also served in two high profile positions in the Native community: as the Coordinator of the Longhouse Project at the Evergreen State College; and as the Founding Director of the Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association, a non-profit corporation serving artists in the Northwest and British Columbia. Both jobs brought her into close working relationships with individuals, tribes, and public agencies in the Pacific Northwest.

Dick Kane is the Communications Director for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). He and his staff provide communications support for the department through the Central Public Information Office in Tallahassee. They are responsible for internal and external communications, Web site administration, graphics support, photography, video and interactive presentations, and “big event” coordination. The Central and District Public Information Offices have won numerous National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop (NTPAW) Skills Awards since he joined the agency in 1991. Kane currently sits on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Administrative Subcommittee on Public Affairs as an Executive Team Regional Member.

Prior to joining FDOT, he was the Tallahassee Bureau Manager for the CBS Florida Network.
Kane has an extensive background in political reporting and analysis. Throughout his 12-year broadcasting career, he had the opportunity to cover many different events, such as the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco and the execution of serial killer Ted Bundy in 1989.

Kane was awarded an English Speaking Union International Schoolboy Fellowship to Bishop's Stortford College in Hertfordshire, England in 1971. He graduated with honors from Boston's Emerson College in 1978 with a degree in Mass Communications. He then moved to Florida a year later. He serves his community as a "Big Brother" and has mentored at a local elementary school.

Margaret Kucharski has been working at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) since 2005. She is an Environmental Specialist – focusing on environmental justice, cultural resources, and tribal consultation – for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Project. She also works on the SR 519 Intermodal Access Project, coordinating the NEPA/SEPA documentation. Margaret holds a Master's degree in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University. Before pursuing a career in the environmental field, she earned a B.A. in political science from Villanova University and worked for the Irish Parliament in Dublin and the American Consulate General in Edinburgh.

Monica Luck is the Communications Specialist for the Georgia DOT’s Transportation Management Center in Atlanta. She promotes Georgia’s intelligent transportation system, NaviGAtor, and its incident management unit, the HEROs (Highway Emergency Response Operators). Her latest project is managing the statewide public awareness campaign for 511, Georgia’s new travel information service launching this summer.

Luck is also Communications Chair of the TIME Task Force, a group of concerned first responders and agencies dedicated to promoting “best practices” in incident management and keeping metro Atlanta roadways open and safe, thereby reducing congestion throughout the region.

A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism, Luck spent 18 years in the private sector before joining the Georgia DOT in 2005. With experience in art production, research, account management and sales for several industries, she brings a variety of skills to her role on the team fighting the “war on traffic” in Atlanta.

Doug MacDonald was appointed the Washington State Secretary of Transportation in April 2001.

Prior to taking his present position, MacDonald served for nine years (1992 – 2001) as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. There he led a successful $6 billion capital facilities program to build new sewage treatment and drinking water delivery systems serving 60 communities in greater Boston.

As Secretary of Transportation, MacDonald reports to Governor Chris Gregoire. WSDOT is an agency of 6,500 employees that operates, maintains and builds the state highways and also runs the Washington State Ferry system, the nation’s largest. The leadership focus at WSDOT is on public accountability, project delivery, and the quest for efficiency in the use of transportation facilities and in the agency’s own business practices.

MacDonald grew up in Washington State. He holds degrees from Harvard College (1967) and Harvard Law School (1973). From 1968-69 he served in Malawi, Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer. He has also practiced in law firms in Chicago and Boston. In addition, he worked from 1976-1980 as the chief legal counsel of the Massachusetts Port Authority.

He currently serves as chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

Craig McDaniel oversees construction contract administration on a statewide basis. He is responsible for Design Build as well as Design Bid Build contract development and administration. McDaniel represents the department and coordinates efforts with the regulatory agencies, other state agencies, Federal Highway Administration and industry organizations. On a contract specific basis, McDaniel works with the regions and contractors on partnering efforts, change orders, contract closeout and dispute resolution.

In a previous position McDaniel had the opportunity to join the Tacoma Narrows bridge team as the Chief Construction Engineer for the Washington State Department of Transportation. McDaniel assumed his role at the time the negotiated design build agreement was just executed. This contract, by its nature, relies more on the relationship than the language. McDaniel’s most important role was to develop a partnership with the design builder that allowed him to participate in evolving the communication, practices and scope that provided the best value for the public. McDaniel will be speaking on the subject of how the design builder, the WSDOT and the public worked together to make this project a success.

Stephanie Miller is a project manager and senior environmental planner skilled at developing approaches and materials to convey technical information to the public on highly controversial projects. Most notably, Miller is considered an expert in creating clear and engaging environmental documents that are understandable to the public and meet the needs of local, state, and federal decision makers.

Miller was the lead author of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) first reader-friendly, award winning Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The document set a new standard for how environmental documents are being written in Washington State, and it sparked a nationwide dialogue among environmental professionals about how to improve the quality of environmental documents published under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Miller routinely trains environmental professionals on the fundamentals of creating engaging environmental documents. Specifically, she has led training sessions for the WSDOT, the National Association of Environmental Professionals, and the Duke University’s Environmental Leadership Program.

Dana Alexander Nolfe is the Chief Public Affairs Officer for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). She oversees all aspects of RIDOT’s public relations activities including special events, media relations, media campaigns, news releases, speech writing, and a vast array of other tasks. Nolfe also serves as an adjunct professor at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate communications courses.

Nolfe’s professional experience includes other teaching positions as well as work for local and network television stations, including production work for programs such as ABC News 20/20, World News Tonight, and Good Morning America.

In addition to many honors and awards, Nolfe holds a bachelor’s degree from Queens College in Flushing, NY, and a Master of Arts degree from New York University in New York, NY.

Shane Peck has served as the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Community Relations Director since July 2005. He is responsible for leading the Department’s communication and outreach efforts, which include handling media inquiries and interviews, issuing news releases and publications, planning special events, maintaining the Department’s Web site and promoting programs, services and employees.

He also oversees MoDOT’s multimedia services, including photography and videography. The department has received numerous communications awards under Shane’s leadership, including nine NAGC awards; five NTPAW awards; three PRSA awards and two ARTBA awards.

Peck served almost six years as the community relations manager for MoDOT’s North Central District before becoming community relations director. Prior to joining MoDOT, he served as a public information officer for the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the Senate Communications Office.

Peck has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Central Missouri State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri. He serves on the National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop’s executive and site selection committees.

Karen Peterson has been managing editor of The News Tribune since 2005. She joined the paper in 2000 as suburban team leader. She has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Hawaii and Indiana, and for an Army publication in Germany. During her husband’s first tour at Fort Lewis in the late 1980s, she wrote for The Lakewood Press and started the monthly Pierce County Parent. She is a board member of the Associated Press Managing Editors. She and her husband, a retired Army officer, have two sons and live in Gig Harbor.

Mark Pettit manages communications on the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). This $525 million project is located in a sparsely populated area of the Cascade Mountain Range and poses a unique communication challenge to reach and engage the greater Washington population which I-90 serves. In an effort to meet this challenge, Pettit helped develop and implement innovative strategies, tactics, and tools aimed at attracting, engaging, and raising awareness and support for this project.

Prior to joining WSDOT’s communications team, Pettit earned valuable experience as a WSDOT engineer and planner. In 2002, Pettit applied this experience to WSDOT communications and promoted the development of a South Central Region public outreach group. The public outreach group’s mission is to proactively improve WSDOT accountability, professionalism and public confidence. The ultimate goal was to communicate WSDOT messages with one voice across the entire region. These communication efforts helped lead to the passage of the nickel gas tax in 2003, the Transportation Partnership Account gas tax in 2005 and continue to be validated year after year.

Charlie Raines is Director of the Sierra Club’s Cascade Checkerboard Project, a post he has held for the past thirteen years. In addition, he works on Forest Conservation for the Cascade Land Conservancy as Director of Strategic Implementation. He is also Campaign Director for the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition, and Director of Lands and Public Funding for The Cascades Conservation Partnership.

Raines has 35 years of experience in environmental issues, mostly as a volunteer for the Sierra Club. He also headed the Club’s successful campaigns for the Mt. St. Helens National Monument 1982 and Washington Wilderness Act 1984.

Raines has previous work experiences with the City of Seattle, Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as with the federal government.

He has served on the Western Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission.

Raines earned degrees in biology and art from the University of Puget Sound. He is a lifelong resident of the Puget Sound.

Brian Seitz is a senior marketing communications manager in the Trustworthy Computing Group at Microsoft. He is currently focused on responding to issues that impact Trustworthy Computing, and has spent the last year developing and implementing a Web strategy across all security Web properties on Microsoft.com. 

Prior to Microsoft, Brian worked at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide on several pieces of business for the Microsoft account, responsible for all aspects of account management including client management, media and analyst relations, integration of new media communications tools for outreach and press materials creation. Brian also spent two years in the Bay Area working for FitzGerald Communications and Hill and Knowlton on behalf of clients like Compaq, E*TRADE and Pacific Gas and Electric. 

Brian graduated from Central Washington University and serves as the professional mentor for the school’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter.

Stacey Stegman was named director of Public Relations for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in 2002.  She joined the Department in 1994 working briefly as a public information specialist at the Traffic Operations Center where she was responsible for coordinating communications during crises and other transportation-related incidents.  She transferred to the Public Relations Office in 1996 where she managed public and media relations for CDOT’s southern and Denver metro regions, until being named director.
Ms. Stegman, who holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Colorado, has been in the communications and public relations fields for more than 15 years and has worked at numerous radio stations both as an on-air personality and in promotions, prior to joining CDOT.

Tom Watson manages the EcoConsumer project for King County in Seattle. This program steers the public to all types of environmental resources and actions, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, reducing car trips and buying greener vehicles.

As part of this effort, Watson writes the EcoConsumer column for the Seattle Times. He is also involved in TV and radio public outreach work. Watson recently served as judge for "Green Me Up," a national reality TV show on the DIY Network, where two families competed to determine which was the greenest. Prior to joining King County Solid Waste Division 15 years ago, Watson was a magazine writer and newspaper reporter.

Jerome Williams was appointed Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation by Governor Donald L. Carcieri on December 28, 2006. Williams had served as Executive Director of the Department of Administration (DOA) between 2003 and 2006. He had previously served as Deputy Director of DOA from 1991 to 1994. Williams also served as the Deputy General Treasurer for Rhode Island from 1986 to 1991 and Town Treasurer of Barrington from 1979 to 1986.

Williams has also served as Chairman of the State Properties Committee for the State of Rhode Island, as a Commissioner for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, as a Board member for the Retirement Board of the State of Rhode Island, and as a Member of the Disability Subcommittee of the Retirement Board. He is Chairman of the Woonsocket Pension Investment Board.

For his work in the public sector Williams received in 2006 the Robert M. Goodrich Award for Distinguished Public Service from the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council.

Williams holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Institutional Management from Bryant University, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Bryant University, and an MBA with a concentration in Accounting from Bryant University.

Frank Wilson’s forte is to lead clients to new opportunities through the use of creative branding, marketing and public affairs solutions. Wilson enjoys a national reputation as a leading specialist in the complex marketing and public affairs challenges associated with the development, introduction and marketing of P3’s, toll roads, electronic toll collection, managed lanes, value pricing, and intelligent transportation systems.

He has served as a lead marketing consultant or public affairs consultant on projects in more than twenty states including a number of highly successful and award winning projects including the introduction of the Good To Go! brand on the Tacoma Narrows bridge for Washington State Department of Transportation.

A frequent speaker on marketing and communications, Wilson is also active in community affairs and business coalitions. Wilson’s firm has received numerous awards including the coveted Silver Anvil Award, the highest achievement award in the public relations industry. Wilson graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Jennifer joined Governor Gregoire’s Executive Policy Office in April 2006, working specifically in Transportation issues.

She most recently served as the Director of Government Relations for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) where she was responsible for coordinating state, federal and tribal issues on behalf of the Department. Previous to that, she was appointed as Administrator for the Washington State Transportation Commission Office, where she was responsible for assisting the Commission in formulating its positions and initiatives on matters of transportation budgets, planning and policy; and served as the Commission’s liaison with WSDOT, other state agencies, the legislature and local governments.

Jennifer has also held positions with the Washington State Legislature as Coordinator for the Senate Commerce and Trade Committee, Counsel to the Senate Transportation Committee and Counsel to the Legislative Transportation Committee.

Ziegler holds a law degree from the Seattle University School of Law and is a member of the Washington State Bar Association.